Master training

Linking the Neuroscience tracks to EURIDOL

The integrated 5-year graduate programme is mainly aimed at students who wish to obtain a doctorate in neuroscience by carrying out an interdisciplinary research project on pain.

The EURIDOL Master's courses are open to Students who are enroled in one of the three Neuroscience Master's tracks of the University of Strasbourg (Joint Master in Neuroscience (JMN) / Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégrées (NCI) / Neurosciences Cognitives (NCO). Detailed information on the admission procedure can be found on the Admissions page.

The EURIDOL Master courses are exclusively taught in English, the working language in Neuroscience.

While the 1st semester of the Master's is exclusively dedicated to the respective Neuroscience track (JMN/NCI/NCO) with 100% track-specific training, semester after semester, the "pain-specific" training becomes the majority:

  • The 2nd semester of the Master's is mostly dedicated to track-specific courses (two-thirds) with one third of the ECTS dedicated to EURIDOL courses.
  • The 3rd semester of the Master's is mostly dedicated to EURIDOL courses (two-thirds) with one third of ECTS dedicated to track-specific courses.
  • The 4th semester of the Master's is exclusively dedicated to the Master work and thesis (final internship) in a EURIDOL team.

Compared to non-EURIDOL Students, a EURIDOL Students will accomplish 6 additional ECTS, providing a more advanced training in the field of pain:

  • 3 ETCS in M1S2
  • 3 ECTS in M2S3

EURIDOL Teaching Units

The pain-specific teaching units are mandatory for all EURIDOL students. This specialisation partly replaces the teaching units of the Neuroscience track of origin (JMN/NCI/NCO).

The EURIDOL teaching units come as 4 "blocks":
Fundamentals of Pain, Methods in Pain Research, Science of Pain, and Interdisciplinary Approaches in Pain.

In addition to these mandatory blocks, students have the opportunity to pass the Animal Experimentation Certificate for the "Applicator"-level (level 2).

 

Introduction to Pain

Introductory lectures to understand the basics in pain research and treatments

ITP | 3 ECTS

ITP ROF sheet

Timing:

Master 1, Semester 2

Content:

  • Establish the fundamentals of Neurobiology of Pain
    Lectures : Concepts, Peripheral mechanisms, Spinal mechanisms, Transmission and pathways, Descending controls, Pharmacology of pain, Higher integration

  • Understand stakes and challenges of Pain
    Seminars with Neurobiologists, Pharmacologists/Chemists, Health professionals (Doctors, Nurses, Patients), Psychologists, Sociologist/Philosophers

Targeted skills:

  • Acquire the specific vocabulary in the domain of pain

  • Understand and manipulate the basic concepts in nociception and pain

  • Integrate the different aspects of pain (sensory, affective, cognitive) and their levels of analysis in humans and animals

Person in charge:

Pierrick Poisbeau: poisbeau[at]unistra.fr

 

Technical Internship

A 6-week laboratory internship

INT | 3 ECTS

Master 1 Internship information

Timing:

Master 1, Semester 2

Content:

  • Immerse into a research team and understand the team's research topic and used techniques.

To contact a EURIDOL research team, browse through the list of laboratories of the Strasbourg Pain Initiative

 

Advanced Lectures in Pain

Interviews with PIs of the Strasbourg Pain Initiative

ALP | 3 ECTS

ALP ROF Sheet

Timing:

Master 2, Semester 3

Content:

  • Discover the diversity and complementarity of pain research of the Strasbourg Pain Initiative through meetings with PIs (research in medicine, neuroscience, chemistry, humans and animals)

  • Train students in the written and oral synthesis and presentation of these research areas

Targeted skills:

  • Understand the specific research programmes in pain developed in the Strasbourg Pain Initiative
  • Be able to grasp the stakes of pain research

  • Be able to link together and synthesise the different levels and approaches in pain research

Person in charge:

Michel Barrot: mbarrot[at]unistra.fr

 

Pain Models and Evaluation

Lectures and practicals on the principal models and tests to study pain and nociception in animals

PME | 3 ECTS

PME ROF Sheet

Timing:

Master 2, Semester 3

Content:

Present the various tests and models that exist in animals to study nociception and pain:

  • Design and analysis of animal behavioural studies

  • Tests and models of nociception in invertebrates

  • Nociceptive testing in rodents

  • Inflammatory pain models in rodents

  • Lesional, metabolic and iatrogenic neuropathic pain models in rodents

  • Models of opioid-induced hyperalgesia

  • Tests and models of the cognitive consequences of pain in rodents

  • Tests and models of the emotional and anxiety-depressive consequences of pain in rodents

  • The professional use of animal tests and models by a CRO (Contract Research Organisation)

Train in the description, analysis, interpretation and design of experiments to test a scientific hypothesis in pain research

Targeted skills:

  • Know the tests and models in animals

  • Describe, analyse and interpret scientific data in pain

  • Be able to design an adequate experimental protocol for testing a scientific hypothesis in pain research

Person in charge:

Michel Barrot: mbarrot[at]unistra.fr

 

Pain at the Clinic

Lectures and practicals on clinical research and medical care (evaluation, pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments) by specialists in pain in human beings

PAC | 3 ECTS

PAC ROF Sheet

Timing:

Master 2, Semester 3

Content:

Pain in humans

  • Clinical management (assessment, drug and non-drug treatments)

  • Clinical research (clinical models)

Targeted skills:

  • Be able to manipulate the specific concepts and vocabulary of pain in humans

  • Be able to appropriate these tools in the analysis of clinic cases

  • Be able to transfer in humans the data from preclinical research

Persons in charge:

André Dufour: andre.dufour[at]unistra.fr
Eric Salvat: eric.salvat[at]unistra.fr

 

Journal Club EURIDOL

Work on recent and major articles to produce a short commentary / review

JCE | 6 ECTS

JCE ROF Sheet

Timing:

Master 2, Semester 3

Content:

Prepare students for scientific writing by writing reviews of scientific articles of major interest in the field of research on pain.

Targeted skills:

  • Be able to extract salient information from a scientific paper

  • Acquire a critical vision of scientific papers

  • Conceive a graphical abstract, a written abstract, and a review

Persons in charge:

Pierrick Poisbeau: poisbeau[at]unistra.fr
Meggane Melchior: mmelchior[at]unistra.fr

 

Drugs Design & Discovery

Lectures on the world of the conception and production of pharmaceutical drugs

DDD | 3 ECTS

DDD ROF Sheet

Timing:

Master 2, Semester 3

Content:

  • The context of the drug world (research, development, production, clinical studies; academic versus industrial environment)

  • Jobs available in public organisations (university, CNRS), start-ups, pharmaceutical industry

  • Strategies and methods for discovering biologically active molecules: from natural substances; by biotechnology; by rational design (enzymatic inhibition, target modelling); by screening

  • The chemistry of molecular interactions between a small molecule and a target protein

  • How to modify the structure of a molecule to make it more active in vitro

  • How to modify the structure of a molecule to make it more active in vivo

Targeted skills:

  • Acquire the knowledge on the strategies and methods to identify and optimise biologically active molecules in pain

  • Be able to participate in the discovery and development of a potential drug to alleviate pain

Persons in charge:

Marcella De Giorgi: degiorgi[at]unistra.fr

Line Bourel: line.bourel[at]unistra.fr

 

Psychosocial Dimensions of Pain

Lectures and seminars with psychology of pain specialists provide a biopsychosocial perspective to the study of pain as well as intervention models from a clinical and well-being perspective

PSP | 3 ECTS

PSP ROF Sheet

Timing:

Master 2, Semester 3

Content:

An introduction regarding psychology, emotions, culture and experience in the influence on the perception and definition of pain, to achieve an integrated understanding of the experience of pain in human beings.

  • General basic concepts associated with perception and behaviour

  • Integrate these concepts into the clinical practice

Targeted skills:

  • Identify the models that explain the perception and behaviour of pain in human beings through an integrated approach

  • Understand clinical pain management concepts from a biopsychosocial perspective

  • Understand the psychological factors in the perception of pain (personality, culture, gender...)

  • Be able to analyse a case study of adult patients with chronic pain from a clinical integrative perspective

Persons in charge:

Iris Chabrier-Trinkler: chabriertrinkler[at]unistra.fr
Andrea Aldana Acosta: aldanaacosta[at]unistra.fr

 

Master 2 Internship

A 5 to 6-month research internship

INT | 30 ECTS

Master 2 Internship information

Timing:

Master 2, Semester 4

Objectives:

  • Integrate into a research team and conduct the Master's work and thesis

To contact a EURIDOL research team, browse through the list of laboratories of the Strasbourg Pain Initiative